Key Takeaway
- You don’t have to apply for IHK membership actively. When you register your business at the trade office (Gewerbeamt), your information is forwarded to the IHK. IHK will then contact you with the next steps.
- The annual IHK membership fee includes a basic fee (Grundbeitrag) and a levy (Umlage).
- New businesses are exempt from the IHK membership fee for the first two years, and pay only the basic fee in the third and fourth years. The prerequisite is that these businesses are not registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister) and their revenue doesn’t exceed 25,000€ (as of 2025).
- You cannot cancel IHK membership. It only ends when you close your business.
Table of Contents
What is the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) in Germany?
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK)) is a public corporation that represents the interests of all businesses in the trade, industry, and services sectors.
IHK works independently and operates autonomously. This means that public bodies have no authority over it. However, state licensing authorities supervise IHK.
IHK offers the following services to existing and newly established businesses:
- Advocacy: They represent businesses at the national and regional levels in political discussions. They address issues organizations face and advocate for productive changes in laws and policies.
- Support and initiatives: They advise businesses in finance, taxes, legal matters, exports, digitalisation, etc. They also assist companies in legal issues and notify them of updates in economic laws or policies. The Chamber of Commerce also aids in developing business plans and finding funding opportunities.
- Training and certifications: They offer training and certification programs. The Chamber is also responsible for dual training programs (dualer Berufsausbildung).
For example, the IHK offers digital marketing courses for businesses. This course can help entrepreneurs build online strategies to increase their business revenue. Likewise, there are many professional courses across different fields.
- Networking opportunities: The IHK encourages networking between companies by organizing seminars, trade fairs, and other events.
How do you become a Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) member?
When you register your business (Gewerbeanmeldung), the trade office (Gewerbeamt) forwards your information to the IHK. IHK will then contact you with the necessary formalities.
In other words, you don’t have to do anything to get an IHK membership. It happens automatically when you register your business (Gewerbeanmeldung) or enter your company in the commercial register (Handelsregister).
According to Section 2 of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Act (IHKG), any business that pays the trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) is automatically enrolled in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Here are some industries that are subject to compulsory IHK membership.
| Area | Industry |
|---|---|
| Trade (Handel) | – Retail (Einzelhandel) – Wholesale and trade brokerage (Großhandel und Handelsvermittlung) – E-commerce (Online-Handel) |
| Industry (Industrie) | Manufacturing companies in the automobile, chemical, mechanical, and other sectors. |
| Services (Dienstleistung) | – Healthcare (Gesundheitswesen) – Travel agencies (Reisebüros) – Real estate (Immobilien) – Laundry and dry-cleaning (Wäscherei und chemische Reinigung) – Legal and tax consulting, auditing (Rechts- und Steuerberatung, Wirtschaftsprüfung) – Creative, artistic, and entertaining activities (Kreative, künstlerische und unterhaltsame Tätigkeiten), etc. |
How much does a membership in the IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer) cost?
The annual IHK membership consists of
- Basic fee (Grundbeitrag)
- Levy (Umlage)
Basic fee
Your basic fee depends on the following factors.
- Your business location or your regional IHK
- The company’s revenue
- Legal form
- Is the company registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister)?
Small businesses (Kleingewerbe) not registered in the commercial register pay between €30 and €70 per year. Companies registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister) pay between €150 and €300 per year.
Levy (Umlage)
In addition to the basic contribution, a percentage levy is levied based on the business’s profit. Different regional IHKs charge different levies.
Here is how much major IHKs charge.
- IHK Berlin: 0.17% of your business profits
- IHK Stuttgart: 0.14% of your business profits
- IHK Munich: 0.09% of your business profits.
The levy is primarily used to finance important tasks and projects of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Every regional IHK offers a fee calculator. Here is the fee calculator from IHK Berlin
When do you pay your membership fee to the IHK?
Your IHK will send you the contribution notice once a year. You must pay the fees within four weeks of receiving the notice.
Failure to pay the fees will result in legal notices and penalties.
Can you reduce or postpone your IHK membership fee?
Yes. If there is a drop in your company’s turnover, you can request an IHK membership fee reduction.
Who is exempt from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer)?
The following businesses are exempt from Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) memberships:
- Freelance professions, such as doctors, tax consultants, auditors, lawyers, architects, authors, editors, etc.
- Freelancers who don’t pay trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) and are not registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister)
- Craftsmen (Handwerker) who work exclusively in manual trades.
- Health trades according to the Handwerksordnung, such as opticians, hearing aid acousticians, dental technicians, etc.
- Agriculture businesses
Note: Businesses involved in the crafts sector should enroll in the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer).
Who is exempt from paying the IHK membership fee?
| Companies registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister) | Must pay the IHK fee. |
|---|---|
| Small businesses (Kleingewerbe) not registered in the commercial register | Exempt from paying the IHK fee if the business’s income/profit doesn’t exceed the allowance of 5200€ (as of 2025) within a single assessment year. |
| New businesses (Existenzgründer) not registered in the commercial register | Exempt from the IHK fee in the first two years. Only pay the basic fee and no levy in the third and fourth years. NOTE: Your business’s annual revenue must not exceed 25,000€ (as of 2025). |
Which Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) is responsible for you?
There are 79 chambers in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer). Each chamber oversees a specific region. You will be assigned to one depending on the location of your business headquarters.
For instance, if your office is in Berlin, you will be assigned to IHK Berlin.
You can find out which Chamber of Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) is responsible for you here.
When does a craft business also pay contributions to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce?
A company is only a member of the Chamber of Crafts (HWK) if it is exclusively engaged in craft (Handwerk) or craft-like (Handwerksähnlich) activities. However, companies often have a non-crafts division in addition to their craft division. In such cases, companies are members of both IHK and HWK.
Example: Sheila is an author (craft). She writes books and publishes them through the publishing house she owns. (commercial). Hence, she is a member of the IHK and HWK.
The membership in both IHK and HWK is compulsory for mixed businesses (Mischbetriebe). However, according to Section 3 of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Act (IHKG), businesses are required to pay IHK contributions only if:
- The business structure is commercial, i.e., registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister).
- The turnover of the non-crafts part of the business is over €130,000.
When calculating the IHK contribution, only the earnings of the non-crafts part of the business are considered. HWK determines the craft and non-craft share of the business.
How can you cancel your IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer) membership?
You cannot cancel your IHK membership. IHK membership only ends in the following cases:
- You deregister your business.
- Your company’s entry has been deleted from the commercial register (Handelsregister).
In case you are moving to a different municipality, you must
- De-register your business at the current trade office (Gewerbeamt).
- Re-register it at the trade office (Gewerbeamt) of your new address
The changes will be updated to the IHK later.
More topics
- Different legal forms you can choose when starting a business in Germany
- How do you choose the right legal form for your new business?
- How to register your business in Germany?
- How to fill Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung?
- Chamber of Crafts (HWK) Explained
- How to save taxes in Germany?
- Tax ID and number
- Myths about filing a tax return in Germany
- Capital gains tax in Germany
- Types of taxes you pay in Germany
- What income-related costs can you deduct from taxes in Germany?
